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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. SGARLES.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE NETTING. No. 387,789.

Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

, B. SOARLES.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE NETTING.

No. 887,739. Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

B. SGARLES.

MAGHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE NETTING.

Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

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U ITED STATES PATENT Fi iCEQ BENJAMIN SOARLES, OF CLINTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE CLlNTOB IRE CLOTH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE NETTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,739, dated August 14, 1888.

Application tiled September 9, 1987. Serial No. 249,917. (No model.)

To CLZZ w/wm may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN SOARLES, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain, but temporarily residing at Clinton, county of W'orcester,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Machines for the Mann faetureof Wire-Netting, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on to the drawings representing like parts.

In another application, Serial No. 220,585, iiled by me on the 3d day of December, 1886, I have shown and described a. mechanism for the manufacture of wire-netting wherein the 1 twist in the wire between two meshes in the direction of the length of the netting is in the same direction, the twisting segments being rotated in one direction during the formation of one transverse row of twists, and in the op 0 posite direction for the formation of the next transverse row of twists, the crank actuating the rack-oar for rotating the twisting-segments being so set on the shaft carrying it that the travel of the crank about the upper half of the are in which it is turned is such as to move the rack in but one direction while one transverse row of twists is being made, the rotation of the crank through the lower half of the are in which it moves taking place when the next 0 transverse row of twists is being made, thus twisting the alternate transverse rows of twists in opposite directions.

In the manufacture of netting in the manner described it is necessary that every alternate 5 wire proceed from a cop which is adapted to be carried entirely around the wire with which it is to be twisted.

Winding one set of wires into cops to be placed into the tubes, and also winding the other set of wires upon small bobbins, entails considerable expense, and also makes the machine more complicated and expensive.v

I-[erein I have devised mechanism whereby the wires to be twisted into netting may be 5 used directly from the bundles as taken from the wire drawing block.

In the process of drawing wire the inolecuies are arranged in regular order, and any bending of the wire disturbs said arrangement and injures the texture of the wire in proportion to the extent of the disarrangcnient. If wire is twisted a great number of times in one direction, the molecular disturbance is greater than if twisted half in one and half in the opposite direction. By my mode of twisting the 5 5 wire in opposite directions in each transverse row of twists I am enabled to make netting of a iow grade of wire, the netting when made being of as good quality as that made of a better grade of wire when twisted in one direction only in each transverse row.

To enable the wires to be twisted in opposite directions in each transverse row of twists, I have so placed the crank which moves the rack-bar for operating the twisting-segments that the said rack-bar is compelled to complete its stroke in one and then in the reverse direc tion during the formation of each transverse row of twists.

Preferably the crank for moving the rackbar will be so placed as to travel from its top to its bottom center, or vice versa, such movement of the said crank causing the twistingsegments to be rotated in one direction while the crank travels through substantially ninety 7 5 degrees, and in the opposite direction while the crank travels through a second ninety degrees.

The machine herein to be described has been provided with a gripping mechanism, whereby the wires in one transverse row of twists, hav- 'ing been twisted together for the proper number of turns, are held while the twisting'segments are reversed in their rotation to twist the wires in the opposite direction.

The act of twisting the wires in the reverse directiomas herein described in the formation of each transverse row of twists, enables the twist put into the wires bet-ween the deliveryorifices of the twisting-segments and the bun- 0 dies of wire to be taken out, so that the said wires, each transverse row of twists having been completed, are free to be moved laterally independently, in order that the said wires in the formation of the next transverse row of 5 twists may be twisted with other wires to the right and left, as itis obvious is necessary in the formation of netting of the class re ferred to.

To enable the netting to be made stronger, [00 or to enable a selvage to be made at any point in the width of the machine, I have provided the twisting-segments with two or, it may be, more openings for two or more independent or auxiliary wires, whereby,when desired, any one of the said segments may be provided with an extra wire, which will be twisted in with the regular wires carried by the said segments when the wires are being twisted together, the said auxiliary wire lying parallel with the wire carried in the same segment between the points where the wires are twisted together.

My invention consists, essentially,in the combination, with twisting-segments to receive the wires to be twisted and means, substantially as will be described, for rotating the said segments in one and then in an opposite direction during the formation of each tranverse row of twists, of gripping mechanism, substantially as will be described, to hold the wires previously twisted in one direction while they are being twisted in the reverse direction; also, in the combination, with twisting-segments to receive the wires to be twisted and means, substantially as will be described, for rotating the said segments in one and then in an opposite direction during the formation of each transverse row of twists, of pins to engage the wires just before the reverse twist is to be put into the wires, to operate substantially as will be described.

Other features of my invention will be set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 in front elevation represents a sufficient portion of awire-netting machine to enable my present invention to be understood, some of the duplicated or like parts being omitted to avoid confusion on the drawings. Fig. 2 is a left-hand end elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. l in the dotted line or x, looking toward the right, the said figure showing the first part of the twist as taking place, the gripping mechanism being shown as open; Fig. 4,a partial right-hand elevation of Fig. 1, chieflyto show the mechanism for opening the gripping mechanism to be described, and also the take up mechanism. Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the carriages and twistingsegments. Fig. 6 is a broken plan view and partial section of the carriages, the said figure showing the gripping mechanism and some of the devices employed to move the said carriages and the jaws of the gripping mechanism; Fig. 7, a partial section of Fig. 6 in the line a Fig. 8 is a plan view similar to Fig. 6, showing a portion of one of the carriages and the gripping mechanism omitted from Fig. 6, the said figure also showing the slide for moving the rack, the said slidehaving a cam-surface to effect the closing of the jaws of thegripping mechanism. Fig. 9 shows,on an enlarged scale, two wires twisted together in opposite directions; and Fig. 10 is an enlarged section of one of the jaws, to show clearly, as cannot be done in Fig. 3, the longitudinallycorrugated face of the jaw to thus crimp the wire.

The frame-work A,the mesh-roll B, the roll 42, the pulley A, the shaft A, the belt A the take-up roll H the crank G the gears B B 13 the shaft B the finger 35, the'shaft A, the beveled gears A A, the worm 39, the worm-gear 40, engaged by it and fast to the roll 42, the pinion 37, sleeve 38, projection 36 thereon, the carriages -D and E, the rack-bar m, the uprights 0, attached to the carriage D at one end, the cam G, the rollers c c on the studs 2, the gear 44, the pulley H,

the lever H the belt H, the pulley H the slide G, having the screws m m", to act on the projection m of the rack-bar m, the slotted guide 82 for the said slide, the adjustable screws 4, the tension mechanism or rolls f f 5 f f, the gibsh, the adjusting-screws h, and the oscillating bolts 25,holding thejonrnals of the rolls f f", are all substantially as in my application, Serial .No. 220,585, filed on the 3d day of December, 1886, wherein like parts are designated by like letters.

Herein the carriage E has erected upon it an ear, 0", which is provided with frictionrollers 0* and c, which are acted upon by a second cam, 0, fast on the same shaft A, the said cam 0 being, however, set on the said shaft diametrically opposite the cam C, so that thesaidcarriagesshallbemovedsimultaneously in opposite directions, each carriage remaining, however, stationary for two short periods during each revolution of the shaft A.

In the application referred to the carriage E was driven from the carriage D through the intervention of an upright shaft having arms. In the application referred to the slide G was moved by an adj ustableconnecting-rod attached to an auxiliary slide, the latter being operated from the crank G5 by a pitman, but

herein the slide G is connected directly to the crank G5 in an adjustable manner by an adjustable link, G Herein the screws or other suitable projections, m m, of the slide G act against the projection m of the slide M, and

move it with the saidslide, providing, however, for a certain amount of lost motion, as in the application referred to.

I have herein marked the twisting-segments by the letters a and b, the same letters being designated to mark the twisting-segments carried by the carriages D and E in the said ap plication. These segments, as the segments in the said application, have semi-gears,-whichare engaged by the rack-bar m, and the said segments do not differ from the segments shown in the said application except in that they have or may have two or more wire-passages instead of one, as in the said application, two or more passages being provided in order that any one or more of the several segments may carry two or more wires, as is desirable, when, for instance, the netting needs to be strengthened at any one point, or when, for instance, it is desired to make a salvage at any one or more points across the width of the machine, so as to make two or more longitudinal strips of netting upon the same machine. Each of these twisting-segments are herein shown as provided with wires 101 and 102, taken, re-

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spectively, from suitable bundles on creels 103 and 104, the said creels having removable heads, in order that the bundles of wire taken from the wiredrawing machine may be readily placed upon the studs of the creels. These creels are supported independently upon suitable uprights, as 105, and the wires 101 and 102 are passed between the tension-rolls f f f, and thence through the twisting-segments, the wire 101 being carried by the twistingsegment a and the wire 102 by the twistingsegment I), and, issuing from the said segments, the said wires are twisted together to form transverse rows of twist across the netting, and then by shifting the carriages and feeding the wires longitudinally a succeeding row of transverse twists is formed with a row of open meshes between.

In the application referred to the rack m is moved in but one direction while each transverse row of twists is being put into the wire; but herein I have made provision whereby the rack m, or the device employed to rotate the twisting-segments when opposite each other, is made to rotate the said segments in one and then in the opposite direction for a greater or less number of times during the formation of each transverse row of twists, thus twisting the said wires in each transverse row of twists in opposite directions. To do this as embodied in this presentinstanee of my invention,1 have so set the crank Gr upon or with relation to the shalt AF, which is instrumental in moving the carriages, that the said crank travels from its upper to its lower center during the formation of each transverse row of twists, such movement of the crank causing the rackm, through the slide G and connecting-rod G to rotate the twisting-segmen ts two or more times in one direction and on the backstroke of the rack to rotate the said twisting-segments two or more times in the reverse direction.

The rotation of the twisting-segments in reverse directions during the formation of one transverse row of twistsin the nett-ingis, I be lieve,novel with myself, and therefore I do not desire to limitmy invention to the exact mechanical devices herein shown for effecting such rotation of the said twisting-segments, and instead of the devices herein shown for such purpose I may employ any other welt known or equivalent mechanism capable of accomplishing the desired result. When the twisting is to be reversed, as stated, it is necessary that the partially twisted wires be clamped or held just at or before the direction of the twistingsegments is reversed. To do this, I have provided the carriages I) and E with a gripping mechanism consisting, essentially, ot'jaws 107 and 108, the said jaws having combined with them, or with one of them, suitable mechanical appliances whereby they may be moved, one or the other of them, to clamp or hold the wires between them.

As herein shown, thejaw 108 is fixed to the carriage E by screws 109; but the jaw 10? is provided at its under side (see Fig. 1) with a dovetailed groove, as 11.0, which receives within it a correspondinglyshaped projection, 112, attached to or forming part of the carriage D, so that the said jaw may be moved transversely with relation to the said carriage. Thejaw 107 has erected upon it near its ends suitable swivelposts, 113, to the heads of which are pivoted links 114, whichin turn arejointed to arms 115 of a rock-shaft, 116, the said rock-shaft having suitable bearings, 117, upon the frame-work, and having at its outer end an arm, 118, upon which is attached in an adjustable manner the weight 119; orit might be a spring, the purpose of which is to move the jaw 107 away from the jaw 108 to release the gripping mechanism from the wires when the same are to be fed for the formation of the next row of meshes.

To cause the jaw 107 to be moved toward the jaw 108, so as at the proper time to grip the twisted wires, I shall provide the said jaw at one or more places, preferably several,with arms 120,provided with friction-rolls 121, each of the said arms being suitably pivoted, as at 122, to the jaw, and being acted upon by a spring, 123, which normally keeps the jaw pressed against astop, 12st, attached to the said jaw.

The slide G has attached to it by screws 125 a bar, 126, (see Fi 8,) having a cam-surface, as 127, there being as many cam surfaces or depressions as there are arms 120.

When the first hai f of the twist for each transverse row of twists is being made, the rack in is supposed to be moved in thedirection of the an row 128, and in such direction of movement, the slide G moving inthe same direction, the cam-surface 127 is not effective to push the jaw 107 forward to clamp the wire, for the arm 120 yields against the spring 123 before the friction on thejaw 107 is overcome, and consequently the said jaws are left open, as in Figs. 2 and S; but during the reverse movement of the slide G, as soon as the roll 121 comes opposite or into the cam space127, then the said cam, acting on the roil 121, quickly and positively moves the said jaw forward to clamp firmly and hold the twisted parts of the wire between itself and the jaws opposed to it, and the said jaw which is so moved is so held forward during the time that thereversetwist is taking place, after which the bar 126 isagain moved until the roll comes opposite another cam surface or depression, when the weight 119 referred to restores the jaw 107 toits normal open position. The acting-faces of the jaws will in practice he grooved longitudinally in order that they may better and more securely hold the wires and prevent them from being drawn laterally when the change of twist occurs. The shape of the contiguous edges of the jaws 107 and 1.08 is best shown in Fig. 3, and therein it will be noticed that the jaw 107 has at a pointinnnediately below its clampingface a series of pins or studs, 130 which,whm1 the jaws are closed upon the wire, enter the space between the two wires, being twisted together and remaining there until the reverse twist is completed, when the pin by the opening of the jaws is withdrawn. These pins are employed only when it is desired to leave a small eye for the reception of a wire to bridge the central part of the mesh. This pin adds materially to prevent the untwisting of the first part of the twist when the reverse twist is being put in, but is unnecessary, for the jaws are effective without the pins to prevent the untwisting of the wire when the reverse twist is being put in.

In practice, the acting-faces of the jaws will be more or less deep, according to the length of the twisted part of the wire between the meshes, and in some instances the jaws will be from an inch to an inch and a half deep.

In Fig. 10, on a larger scale, I have shown one of the jaws as provided with several corrugations, the other jaw in practice having a like number of corrugations, so that when the jaws are forced together upon the twisted wire the same is crimped,as it were, between the meshes which gives stiffness to the nettin It will be obvious that when the machine is to be used to form several narrow strips of wire-netting the wires will be entirely omitted from some ofthe segments, and in easeaselvage containing two wires is desired for each of the said strips, then those segments carrying the edge-forming wires will be provided with extra independent wires.

I claim- I 1. In a machine forthe manufacture ofwirenetting, a series of twisting segments and means to rotate them, substantially as described, in opposite directions during the formation of each transverse row of twists,combined with gripping mechanism, substantially as described, to hold the wires previously twisted in one direction while they are being twisted in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for the manufacture of Wirenetling, the combination, with twisting segments to receive the wires to be twisted and means, substantially as described, for rotating the said segments in one and then in an opposite direction during the formation of each transverse row of twists, of a series of pins and means to support them, the said pins entering between the wires after the completion of the first portion of the twist in each line of meshes and holding the wires while the reverse twist is taking place, substantially as described.

3. Inamachine for the manufactureof wiren'etting, carriages D E, and ears 0 and O, attached, respectively, to them, and projections on said ears, combined with the shaft A, pro vided with two cams set opposite to each other to intermittingly but positively move the said carriages in opposite directions, substantially as described.

4. In amachine for the manufacture of wirenetting, two reciprocating carriages, D E, combined with twisting-segments, some of which have two or more passages for auxiliary wires, whereby some of the longitudinally-twisted strands extended through the netting may contain two wires which are twisted with a third wire at the twisting-point, leaving the two wires carried by one segment parallel between the said twisting-points, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for the manufacture of wirenetting, the mesh-roller,two or more carriages, D E, means to reciprocate them in opposite directions at the proper time, two series of twistingsegments carried by the said carriages, and means to rotate the said twisting-segments in one and then in the reverse direction during the formation of each transverse row of twists, combined with atension spring held or yielding arm, 120, which stands rigidly when the jaw 10? is being moved toward thejaw 108, the cambar at such time being moved longitudinally, the said arm yielding when the cam-bar is moved to regulate the tension upon the wires passing to the said segments, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for the manufacture of wirenetting, the carriages D E, their twisting-Se; ments, and means to rotate the said twistingsegments in one and then in a reverse direction during the formation of each transverse row of twists, combined with jaws 107 and a series of pins, 130, the latter to enter between the said wires after they have been twisted in one direction and to hold them while the wires are being twisted in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for the manufacture of wirenetting, the carriages D E, the twisting-segments therein, and means to rotate them, combined with gripping mechanism having jaws corrugated longitudinally to crimp the twisted wire, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for the manufacture-of wirenetting, the reciprocating carriages D E, the twisting-segments a 21 therein, and means to rotate them, and thejaws 107 and 108 of the gripping mechanism, combined with a cambar, 126, means to move it, and with the arm 120,free to yield in but one direction, and the spring 123 and stop, to operate substantially as described.

9. In a machine for the manufacture of wirenetting, the carriage D,thejaw 107, mounted thereon to slide transversely, and the swivelstuds 113, and means to move the said carriage longitudinally, combined with the rock-shaft 116, and intermediate connecting mechanism between it and the said studs, whereby the outward movement of the jaw may be effected at the proper time in different positions of the carriage D, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name 

